About Tommy Cooper
Thomas Frederick Cooper was a Welsh prop comedian and magician. He was large and lumbering at 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and habitually wore a red fez when performing. He served in the British Army for seven years before developing his conjuring skills and becoming a member of The Magic Circle. Although he spent time on tour performing his magical act, which specialised in magic tricks that appeared to fail, he rose to international prominence when his career moved into television, with programmes for London Weekend Television and Thames Television. The programme featured Cooper's daughter, Vicky, who gave her first television interview following years of abstaining "because of the grief". After leaving school, Cooper became a shipwright in Southampton, Hampshire. Cooper became a member of a Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) entertainment party, and developed an act around his magic tricks interspersed with comedy. Cooper rapidly became a top-liner in variety with his image as the conjurer whose tricks never succeeded, but it was his television work that raised him to national prominence.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.